The Mad World
by Wagthedog
Summary: Sheppard faces the true innocents of Wraith cullings. Angsty with some whump later.  Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Apologies to those that keep seeing this story come up over and over on the list, I'm not sure why it keeps disappearing or saying invalid url when the link is clicked.

Characters: Sheppard, a bit of Ronon, Teyla and Rodney

Disclaimer: The usual—blah blah, so don't sue me.

**Note**: I don't own the right to any of the lyrics in here, but this story is based off of the version sung by Adam Lambert, so if you want the emotion behind it, look for Mad World on You Tube by Adam Lambert and give a listen to his haunting version:

**Mad World**

By Wagthedog

_Their tears are fillin' up their glasses_

_No expression, no expression_

_Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow_

_No tomorrow, no tomorrow_

Frequent glances at his watch told Sheppard that he was making good time on his walk to meet up with his team on the other side of a deserted town on M367-429. A new batch of recruits had delayed his departure, but this world had previously been cleared by SG-2, and McKay was itchy to start digging around in some sort of Ancienty-looking ruins a few klicks to the east.

He squinted up, shielding his face from the glare, then he flipped his Ray-Bans across his eyes. The sun was higher in its mid-day path, breaking the morning chill and starting to burn off the dew that still clung to the low grass in the fields. The sky overhead was a crystal clear blue except for a few knots of gray clouds casting slow moving shadows across the forest in a distant valley. Light showers of translucent rain fell in columns beneath them. If this world hadn't recently been culled by the Wraith, he might almost say it was a beautiful sight.

He thought about avoiding the town altogether, but for some reason, he changed his path, strangely curious to see how far the civilization on this planet had progressed before it had been wiped out. Some of the buildings were still easily recognizable. Bakery here, hotel there, houses lined up in neat rows along brick paved streets. Papers and trash still floated down the side streets carried on the silent wind.

He made his way to the town square, skirting the remains of a stone fountain. Stagnant green water sat in the bottom, pooling below the broken edge of the lower collection bowl, staining the marble as it evaporated. Weathered slate steps on the opposite side of the square rose to the skeletal rubble of a burned out shop, its brick and mortar crumbling under the weight of collapsed beams.

With a rumble of his stomach, he realized he hadn't had breakfast or lunch yet—the perils of being the commanding military officer and leader of the first ranked expedition team on Atlantis. He took a seat on the lowest step and dug inside his tac-vest, snagging a crumpled PowerBar. As he leaned back, letting the retention clip take the weight of his P90, he let his sunglasses drop around his neck and started to enjoy the snack in peace.

* * *

The boy slowed his breathing, letting his shaking finger pause on the trigger, uncertain whether the black-clad, dark-haired man on the steps was someone he could trust, or another raider looking for unspoiled food, or some trinket left behind to trade on another world. It was apparent that the stranger had food. The child's mouth watered as he watched him eat. It would be easy to just kill him where he sat and take everything he had.

After a moment's indecision, he released the trigger and lowered the old rusty weapon, instinct telling him that something was different about this traveler. As he heard a shuffling noise behind him, he knew that he was still being followed by his constant shadow, the young girl who had latched onto him a few weeks past. With a frustrated sigh, he rose from his crouch and tucked the weapon in at his side.

Sheppard's eyes widened in surprise as a dark shape appeared at the mouth of the alley across the square, the half eaten PowerBar dropping to the steps as his P90 came up. He squinted into the darkness and could just about make out a small tattered, childlike outline. "Where'd you come from?"

The figure hovered nearby, keeping to the shadows. Finally, Sheppard held up a hand and then lowered his P90. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. Why don't you come out."

Very slowly, a boy emerged a few steps from the alley, clutching an old rifle. Sheppard had seen children like this before on other planets culled by the Wraith. Children hidden by their parents in holes and under the floorboards, children who had somehow escaped the culling beams of the Wraith ships to scurry through the aftermath without food and without homes. Somehow, this boy had found a weapon to defend his deserted planet and what little food he had left.

After a moment's consideration, Sheppard reached back into his tac-vest and pulled out another bar, holding it out to the boy. "You hungry?"

Narrowed eyes returned his offering.

"I promise, I'm not gonna hurt ya." Sheppard smiled to himself and split the distance between them, moving slowly toward the fountain to set the bar on the edge. "I'll just set it right here if you want it."

Carefully, the boy walked over, watching Sheppard's every move. He tried to sling the weapon awkwardly across his shoulder, but the old leather strap kept slipping. It almost dropped to the ground as he snagged the bar from the fountain's edge and then retreated a few feet. He looked at it in confusion until Sheppard picked up his own half eaten bar and ripped a bit more of the outer wrapping off in demonstration.

The boy imitated his movement and clumsily unwrapped his own snack, jamming half of it in his mouth. Through half chewed peanut butter chocolate, he mumbled, "You came through the ring?"

Sheppard nodded. "Who's you're friend?"

The boy turned to look back at the alley. The girl was hovering near the edge. She called out to him quietly.

"What's she saying?"

"It is nothing."

"Here, why don't you take her some food." Sheppard ripped the Velcro open on one of his lower pockets, slowing the movement as the boy jumped, then he reached in and pulled out one of his prized chocolate bars, turning the shiny wrapped candy around in his hand to show that it was harmless. It wasn't the best in nutrition, but it was all he had left. Too bad Rodney wasn't around. The scientist was always good for at least six PowerBars in his vest, if not more. "You can share it with her."

The boy stared at the chocolate in indecision. Sheppard stood and walked toward the alleyway. "Come on, let's take her something to eat."

They walked over to the entrance of the alley and the boy stopped about ten feet away, face set in steel, almost as if refusing to move any closer. The girl shied back, bare feet tripping over the rubble.

Shepard looked between the two children, one eleven or twelve, the other not more than seven. Finally, he broke off one half of the candy bar and knelt down, offering it to the girl. "Come on, now, I won't hurt you." He held his hand out, disgusted at how similar the motion was to beckoning a hungry dog, yet determined not to let the emotion show on his face. Frustrated with her lack of response, he appealed to the boy. "Tell her to come over."

The boy sighed. "Stop hiding in the corners and come out!" he growled at her impatiently. Her head popped up, startled, like a wild animal ready to run.

Sheppard narrowed his eyes at the boy, not liking his tone, but little by little, the girl moved, eyes constantly shifting between Sheppard and the boy. In the end, hunger won out over any fear, and as soon as she was close enough, she snatched the candy from Sheppard's hand and fled behind the boy. Sheppard flashed a one-sided smile as the kid sighed again.

"What's your name?" Sheppard asked him.

The boy carefully wrapped up what little he had left of his bar and horded it away in a pocket then he let the old weapon drop into his hands, gripping the cold metal and worn wooden stock while the girl continued to hide behind him. She grabbed at the lower corner of his torn shirt with chocolate-smeared fingers. He tried to elbow her away. "My name is Auren"

"Auren? Are you alone here? Where's your family?"

"My mother was a…uh... teacher."

"Was?"

"She is gone now." The boy's slim fingers tightened around the weapon.

"What about the girl?"

"She does not belong to me."

The little girl released her hold on the hem of his shirt and latched onto his ragged sleeve, pulling at him and whining, tears welled up in her eyes and made tracks through the dirt on her sunken cheeks.

Auren yanked away from her grasp and pushed her down to the ground. "Stop your crying! Seyma is dead!" The girl spun into the dirt and curled in on herself, sobbing.

"Hey, don't do that." Sheppard knelt down and gathered the child to his side. She latched on, burrowing into him, her need for human contact winning out over any internal struggle of fear. He pulled back a bit, feeling awkward, but then reminded himself that these were only kids, left alone on a deserted world to fend for themselves. Like most children in the Pegasus Galaxy that had survived Wraith cullings, they'd had the realities of adulthood thrust on them before they were ready to deal with it. He looked down at the child at his side. To Auren, she was probably just an alarm clock waiting to alert any invaders or hungry survivors and another mouth to feed when he was starving himself.

Sheppard had never considered himself as being quite so savvy with Pegasus children, especially after he'd bombed out with telling the Athosian kids that Halloween story late one night in Atlantis. They just didn't have the same cultural references, and he wasn't a particularly touchy-feely kind of guy. He usually left that stuff up to Teyla. Perhaps it was just the support of an adult that she needed; the security when so long without. "Do you know what her name is, or what she's crying about?"

The boy stopped fidgeting, but refused to look at either Sheppard or the girl. "She does not talk much any more. All I know is that her sister is missing. In the time...uh...before...her mother told them to stay together and take care of each other no matter what happened, but one morning, Seyma left her to find food and she never returned."

Sheppard had a bad feeling that Seyma was gone forever. "Did you help her look?"

"It does not matter now. I told her she was dead."

Sheppard opened his mouth to answer, but stopped as he heard sounds approaching from the edge of town. It wasn't his team and their usual banter. Experience told him it was the determined march of a Wraith patrol. Why would they be here? Had his team been captured? This planet was supposed to be cleared!

He lifted the girl awkwardly on one hip, ignoring her squawk of protest, then reached out to grab Auren by the scruff of the neck as he scuttled backwards into the alleyway. He gathered both of the children against him, one to each arm, as he flattened himself against the wall in a crouch.

Auren jerked and tried to get his arms free, managing to wiggle around and swing his weapon in an arc that cracked painfully against Sheppard's knee. Holding his breath against a string of expletives, Sheppard grabbed the back of the little moppet's neck and pushed him back down against his leg, holding him against any further struggling. "Unless you wanna get us all killed by the nasty green monsters…knock it off, okay?" he hissed.

The boy's eyes widened for a moment and then he stopped struggling, falling limp and shaking across Sheppard's leg. The girl started sobbing and Sheppard realized his mistake. "Big green monsters" were universally understood and were never a good thing in a child's world of fairy tales and bedtime stories. Quietly, he tried to shush her before the patrol got too close to their position. She finally fell silent, but the tears continued to roll from reddened eyes.

Sheppard released the boy and shoved him up against the wall. "Look, just do me a favor and stand right there, okay. I need to see what those guys are up to and I can't watch the two of you at the same time."

Taking a steadying breath, he leaned around the corner and wanted to beat his head against the wall. One of the Wraith drones had found the PowerBar wrapper he'd left on the steps and was showing it to the patrol's leader. He snatched it with a clawed hand and brought it to his face, almost seeming to draw in its scent, then he threw back his head and hissed, showing a mouthful of pointed, translucent teeth. Apparently, he could tell it was fresh. He crushed the wrapper in his hand and sent a telepathic order to the drones, sending them out to search the town. Their own brand of snack was nearby.

Shepard flattened back against the wall and looked at his watch. He was supposed to meet up with his team soon. Would they realize and come looking for him, or had they all ready become a meal, and tipped the patrol off that there might be others nearby? He tapped his radio and spoke softly, trying to make contact with any of the other SGA-1 members. Nothing. What a cluster this was turning out to be.

Too bad he'd strayed into the town and not kept to the outside path like he was supposed to. Then he glanced at the children. He couldn't imagine the horror they would have faced alone against the Wraith. _Damned if you do...blah blah blah. _Frustration didn't begin to cover what he was feeling right now.

He drew a hand across the sweat beading his upper lip and slid back under cover."We need to try to get outta here. As quietly as possible. You understand?"

Auren's brow was furrowed. He shook his head. "No, I must stay and fight."

Sheppard took a long breath. Most worlds told stories of the Wraith for generations. Where had this kid been? Hadn't his mother been a teacher? "Look. Do you realize what they'll do to you? They make you see things that aren't there. They have stunners that'll put you down before you can even raise that crap rifle. You won't have a chance in hell."

"It does not matter. I am not important." The answer was soft, almost as if the boy had already fallen into his own world of despair.

"What?"

_It does not matter. I am not important_. Sheppard rolled the words over in his head and looked at the boy's blank expression. Without a moment to spare, he grabbed both of the children and pulled them back away from the building and into the darkness of the alleyway.

**TBC**...and thanks for reading. Feed the writer if you deem this worthy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: More of the same. Didn't ask for permission from TPTB, Tears for Fears, American Idol, or Adam Lambert (who sings the better version of the song "Mad World")

**Warning**: there's mention of a **death** in this part (not of a main character, though)

**Chapter 2**

**Mad World**

_And I find it kind of funny_

_I find it kind of sad_

_The dreams in which I'm dyin'_

_Are the best I've ever had_

Sheppard reached out to steady himself against the wall, feeling the oppressive heat leaching into his back through the red bricks. Across the street, rocks shifted beneath the heavy boots of the drones as they moved in and out of the buildings near the square. A click at his side was all that warned Sheppard to the boy's ready firing stance as he took a bead on one of the drones. Auren was standing out beyond the safe camouflage of the wall, lining up the sights on his rifle.

Sheppard tried to wrestle the weapon away, but only managed to grab a piece of Auren's clothing, pulling the boy off balance. The shot went wild, exploding into the air in a burst of gunpowder. The boy yanked out of Sheppard's grasp and kicked off in a cloud of dust and pebbles toward another wall and another alley. Stunner blasts followed his flight through the intervening space and he tripped and scrabbled and then made it to the other side and into the darkness beyond.

"You better run fast, kid." Sheppard listened to Auren's footsteps clatter into the distance, then he spun to grab his other charge and ran in the other direction. Once he got the girl to safety, he could return for the boy.

* * *

Sheppard held his P90 in one hand, the girl bouncing roughly against his side as he ran toward the forest, entering the root tangled treeline as single blasts of gunfire echoed from the town in spurts. She hardly uttered even a single cry as she clung to his neck, almost panting as hard as he was in the effort to stay wrapped around him. A twig snapped somewhere to his right and he shifted the child away, bringing his weapon to bear. A squirrel-like creature chittered at him and then clawed its way up the bark of a nearby tree.

"Sheppard?" He almost dropped the girl on her backside as Ronon called out behind him. He turned around and rested his back against the tree, glad to see his team together and alive. The child still remained quiet, but she held on even tighter and her face was pressed into his neck, away from the unknown adults.

Ronon pulled his trench coat back and rested a hand on the hilt of his blaster. "Saw a Wraith scout ship and thought we'd check it out. You were late."

Teyla was eying the child with a furrowed brow, head canted, before her eyes slid back to Sheppard and one side of her mouth turned up in a smile. "We were concerned, John. It is good to see you."

"Who's the bundle of rags?"

"Rodney!" Teyla admonished.

McKay shrugged. "Hey, you know kids and I don't get along."

"No questions. Chewy, it's you, me and Teyla back in town. A kid's decided to take on the Wraith single-handed. McKay, since you're so good with kids, you get to babysit."

"Oh, that's just great."

Sheppard was making a great effort to unlatch the child from his neck. He let his weapon swing free and patted her back awkwardly. "Look, it's okay, they're my friends." He turned and pointed at McKay. "That's Rodney, and he's going to stay with you for a while. I'll be right back, I promise. Then we'll go away together. Someplace where there's food, and beds, and lots of other nice people. And we can probably even find you some other kids to play with."

Teyla smiled.

Little by little, she released her grip around his neck while Sheppard kept looking toward the town. He didn't want to just peel her off and run, but if she didn't let go soon, he'd have to.

Finally one eye looked at Rodney, blinked, and the head followed. Sheppard waved his free hand at Rodney in a "help me out here" gesture, and reluctantly, Rodney tried to smile. Unfortunately, it ended in a sarcastic snort, but the child didn't seem to understand the nuances of adult non-verbal communication. She finally set her legs on the ground and Sheppard held her hand and drew her toward Rodney, passing her off. McKay held her at arm's length like she was a dirty diaper as he watched his team take off.

Sheppard called over his shoulder. "Don't worry Rodney, she loves chocolate. I know you've got a ton of snacks ferreted away in those pockets. And if you get in any trouble, you can let her play with one of your blinky gadgets."

"Not a chance."

* * *

The trio's steps quickened in concert with the increase in weapons fire as they crossed from scorched dirt to patches of blackened and wilted vegetation and back to the scattered rubble, wood, and metal that marked the outer perimeter of the town. The echoes drew them to a narrow alleyway whose entrance had at one time been proudly fronted by an archway and painted columns. They paused near the arch, not concerned that its stones might be clinging together by nothing more than a mere force of will atop the shifting supports.

The very fact that Auren had held on this long was testament to the fact that he knew the tiny holes and hiding places of the town like a rodent scurrying through the walls of a house. Sheppard motioned silently to his two team members to head off to either side and they both moved away. Teyla more cautious and systematic in her approach to silent recon, Ronon departing at a quicker, more determined pace, dreads swinging and shoulders set. Sheppard heard the mode of his blaster being switched and then the weapon swung back and forth in his hand until the amber power indicator light disappeared into the darkness.

Sheppard himself took a more direct route, leading with the tip of his weapon around the edge of the archway, followed by a hand clutching the main barrel and the trigger, then finally leaning just far enough around the barrier to clear the street both directions. His eyes scanned second story windows where flimsy scraps of curtains flapped gently through blown out window panes,

He hunched over his P90 and hurried toward the concealment of the shadows beneath the buildings across the street, flattening himself against the roughened exterior at his back. Even in the low light, he could make out the trowel marks in the plaster, a grim reminder of the once thriving population.

Another rifle shot echoed through town and he swiveled, trying to find the source location. He knew his team would avoid using their radios as much as possible while they were hunting. The Wraith possessed an abundance of super-human abilities, including hearing, so unless one of them was in immediate danger, silent running would be the rule.

Another shot, nearer this time and Sheppard kicked off from the wall and around the first break between the buildings he came to. Blasts from Wraith stunners joined the fray, adding to his adrenaline rush as he quickly made his way down side alleys, leading with his weapon to clear, and moving on. The last alley exited onto another square, smaller than the first he'd found.

On the far side, Auren was on the ground, his feet scrabbling wildly as one of the drones stomped a boot down on one of his thin arms, pinning him to the ground. He was pushing at the leg wildly with his other hand, kicking up dust in his flurry to get free. The slim, smooth-haired leader of the patrol descended, bending down with his right palm extended, reaching...reaching. That sickening sharp smile plastered on his face.

Sheppard's fingers clenched his P90 as he raised the weapon. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to let this happen.

He grunted in surprise as he was grabbed from behind. The P90 was ripped from his hands, the black web strap fraying and tearing like string as the high-tech weapon was thrown to the ground like a plastic toy. His arms were pulled away from his Beretta. A dizzying spin and crash against the rough wooden wall of the building beside him brought the blurring vision of two masked drones, one to each side.

One drone pulled his left arm behind his back higher and higher and the weathered wood splintered against his cheek as he tried to escape the pain of a joint hyper-extending beyond its range of motion. Every time he was jostled, all he could feel was the searing pain and the blood rushing in his ears. If Drones laughed, these two would be enjoying his torture.

Then one of them slammed a palm into the back of his already abused shoulder. The joint ripped from its socket, each move was fire along his chest. The last time he'd felt pain like that, something had been attached to his neck in the back of a jumper. The scream that ripped from his throat was probably much the same. As his eyes squinted shut, and he waited for the drones to start feeding, a bolt of lightning flashed through his nerve endings, his muscles convulsed, and his world faded out, blocking his awareness of Auren's fragile choking scream.

* * *

"John?"

_Was it raining?_

Warm hands held his face. Another drop fell and soft fingers brushed wetness from his cheek. His body felt like pins and needles, his shoulder a throbbing mass of pain, the fingers stinging like he'd slept on top of a bent wrist.

"Ronon, his shoulder. You should try while he is still feeling the influence of your stunner."

"I got it."

_Stunner?_ John blinked. Teyla was leaning back. Her eyes were red, tears running down her face. _Not raining then._

"Keep him steady from the other side." Ronon descended above him, blocking out the light of the sun. The big runner grabbed onto him, arms bulging beneath his trench coat. He felt pressure under his arm, holding him down, and then the pulling started.

John couldn't say how long it took, or how many tries, but before long, whatever Ronon had done with his stunner was wearing off and the pain was reaching even his upper tolerance level. Ronon's grip tightened, he pressed into Sheppard's side with a boot and pulled with a growl. John's back was straining to arch off the ground. Teyla stayed close by his side as his hand fisted in her tac-vest.

When Ronon eased off, he thought the runner had given up. They would have to wait until they returned to Atlantis and Beckett. But then Ronon shifted his grip and Sheppard's jaw muscles clenched until he felt his teeth would crack. There was an audible pop, and John finally relaxed, releasing his death grip.

"What happened?" John's voice felt odd and scratchy. He tried to cough it away as he looked around, but all he could catch a glimpse of was one of the drone's muddy boots lying awkwardly behind Teyla.

Teyla ducked her head and glanced away, scrubbing the wetness from beneath her eyes again. Sheppard started to lever himself up, shifting along his right side. Two sets of hands helped him to sit. "Now tell me what the hell happened." His voice was getting stronger, and with it, his impatience.

Teyla spoke quietly. "Ronon had no choice but to stun all three of you."

"Thought they might be starting to feed." Ronon had his weapon out and was fiddling with it. After a moment, he glanced up at Sheppard, his face partially hidden beneath the long curtain of dreads. "Then I set my blaster to kill. Took care of em."

John's heartbeat suddenly rushed in his chest. "Auren? What about Auren." He pushed himself to his feet, grasping onto his left arm to hold it steady against his side

Teyla wiped her eyes again. "No John, do not look. We were too late."

"I have to, I can't leave him like that."

"We understand. You do not have to face this alone. Let us help you."

John's mind was spinning as he stumbled toward the other circle of carnage nearby. Dead Wraith...and...and...He looked away for a moment. They didn't have any tools to dig a grave. All they were surrounded with were rocks and rubble from the crumbling buildings. Like they were on the Chisholm trail in the1870s without a shovel.

"We could take him back to Atlantis..." Teyla's voice was quiet, tentative.

John shook his head. "No, he was born here, he fought to protect it. We'll find a nice corner somewhere."

"Use this." Ronon already had his trench coat off. "You'll need something to wrap him in."

In some strange way, John's mind was wondering if the trench coat would keep Auren warm in the winter, when the snow was falling. He felt Teyla's hand on his back.

"Come, John. We will both help you."

* * *

"What took you so long?" McKay took a second to lightly slap the girl's sticky hands away from his pockets. "Enough chocolate already. Leave a little for the rest of us." Teyla frowned at him and walked over to kneel by the child.

"Where's the other kid?" McKay looked between the group and finally caught sight of Sheppard. His bruised and abraded cheek, smears of blood tracking down his neck and the belt holding one arm to his chest. "What happened to you?"

Sheppard still hadn't spoken. He turned his face back toward the town in silence.

"Shut up, McKay." Ronon growled.

Rodney recoiled slightly. "Fine, whatever."

Teyla smoothed a bit of ratty hair from the child's face and she pulled away, apprehensive of the attention. "Do you find out her name?"

Rodney was trying to pick empty wrappers from his stash of food off of the ground, crinkle them up and stuff them in his vest. "Not a peep from her. Just grabby fingers and a bottomless pit for a stomach."

Sheppard was numb to the dialogue passing between his team. Over and over, the scenes of the past few hours kept flickering through his mind like flashes from a movie. What could he have done? How could he have changed the outcome? Why had he lost when so much was at stake?

Tiny fingers interlaced with his own and squeezed gently. His eyes tracked slowly down and locked on to a pale thin face. The long-lashed brown eyes were no longer filled with tears, they were filled with trust. "Home?" she asked.

Sheppard squeezed back and turned toward the gate, his voice raspy. "Yeah, let's go home."

_I find it hard to tell you_

_'Cause I find it hard to take_

_When people run in circles_

_It's a very, very_

_Mad world, mad world_

**Ende**...just another little Atlantis story to fill the void since cancellation.


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